High-tension wiring harness



July 13, 1954 c, w, RAlNEY 2,683,578

HIGH-TENSION WIRING HARNESS Filed Aug. 24, 1950 CWRA/NEV INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 13, 1954 2,683,578

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,683,578 HIGH-TENSION wmmo HARNESS Challenor W. Rainey, Dear-born, Mich., assignor to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 24, 1950, Serial No. 181,274

1 Claim. (01. 24868) This invention is directed to the electrical system of motor vehicles and more particularly with a harness for mounting high tension ignition conductors. The high tension ignition leads on in- .ternal combustion engines have long been a prolific source of maintenance due to the fact that they must operate at voltages in the neighborhood of fifteen thousand under the most adverse circumstances for the preservation of insulating materials. The very nature of the service requires that these conductors be exposed to a combination of heat, lubricants, water and vibration. These factors result in an early breakdown in the high tension cable insulation with concomitant leakage of the ignition current to ground. The instant invention is designed to support these high tension cables in a manner that will minimize the troubles recited above without adding substantially to the cost of the harness or the time required for assembly.

This invention is probably best understood by a study of the drawings in which Figure l is a perspective view of the harness as applied to a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an insulating grommet.

Figure 3 is an elevation view of the same insulating grommet.

Figure 4 is a plan view of another form oi insulating grommet.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the bracket in the open position.

Figure 6 is a plan of the bracket with the grommet and cables applied and ready for shipment.

In Figure 1 the four high tension conductors II) are shown in place in openings I2 (Fig. 2) provided in grommet II. Openings I2 are provided with longitudinal slits I 3 to enable the wires to be placed in opening I2 without the necessity of threading the wire through for a substantial portion of its length. Grommet I I is preferably an extruded elastomer member and is provided with central aperture I4 to aid in the curing of the elastomer and to economize in material and weight.

Grommet II and conductors I are supported in bracket I which is fabricated in the form of a quadrilateral from sheet metal. Each of the four sides I6 of this quadrilateral have upturned edges I! to stiffen the assembly. One of sides I6 is extended beyond the limits of the quadrilateral to form extension I8 which terminates in recurved portion I9. The adjacent side I6 at one end is bent at right angles to provide ear 20. In the assembled position, extension I8 and ear 2| are coextensive in area and parallel. Ear 20 and extension I8 are perforated to provide mounting holes 2| which in the assembled position are coaxial.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one form of the grommet and clearly illustrates the details of the member mentioned above. Figure 3 is an elevation view of the same grommet and shows the longitudinal slits I3 which connect openings I2 with the exterior of the grommet and permit the wires to be directly inserted into the openings I2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of another form of grommet I I. In this form the surfaces of grommet I I which are parallel to openings I2 are provided with recesses 22 to facilitate compression oi grommet II in the assembly operations.

Figure 5 is an elevation view of bracket I5 as received and ready for assembly with conductors III and grommet II. Figure 6 is an elevation of the bracket I5, grommet II and conductors I0 assembled as a unit and ready for application to the internal combustion engine. In preparing this assembly, the operator spreads openings I2 along slits I3 and inserts conductors I0 into these openings. After a conductor II) has been applied to each of the openings I2, bracket I5 is placed in position surrounding grommet II and suflicient pressure is applied to the two sides of grommet II which are perpendicular to ear 20 and extension I8 to permit the extremity of ear 20 to be inserted into the recurved portion I9 of extension I8. The size of grommet II is chosen with relation to that of bracket I5 so that with the assembly in the position shown in Figure 6,

, grommet II and hence conductors III will be slightly in compression. In this position, attention is invited to the fact that ear 20 and extension I8 are not quite parallel but make an acute angle with each other.

In the position shown in Figure 6, grommet I I is under suflicient compression to insure a stable assembly for shipment. However, this compression is insufficient to prevent manual adjustment of conductors axially in openings I2 in the final application of the assembly to the internal combustion engine.

In applying this assembly to the internal combustion engine the conductors I0 are first adjusted axially to the correct position and then bolt 23 is thrust through coaxial holes 2| provided in both extension I8 and ear 20.

Bolt 23 is threaded into a suitable threaded opening on the internal combustion engine (not shown) and tightened until extension I8 and ear 20 are adjacent and parallel. This tightening further compresses grommet H and conductors H) to an extent which precludes any further movement of the grommet in the bracket or the conductors in the grommet. To accomplish this it is of course necessary that the free dimensions of grommet ll be sufficiently smaller than the corresponding dimensions of bracket 15 when ear 20 and extension I8 are forced together, to supply the necessary compression.

I claim as my invention:

A high tension wiring harness comprising a bracket and high tension wires supported by said bracket, said bracket comprising a sheet metal member formed to define a rectangular opening, and terminating respectively in an extension and an ear approximately parallel to said extension, said extension terminating in a recurved portion adapted to receive the end of said ear, and a conductor supporting elastomer member which in cross section in its uncompressed state is rectangular and geometrically similar in shape to the rectangular opening defined by said bracket and is provided with a longitudinal hole at each corner for the reception of said wires, slits through said elastomer member connecting each of said holes to the exterior of the elastomer member and a high tension wire secured in each '4 of said holes, the sizes of said bracket, elastomer member and wires being chosen so that the e1as tomer member and the contained wires are slight- 1y compressed when the ear is received in the recurved portion of the extension and the ear and the extension together defining an acute angle whereby the wires are secured against accidental axial movement in the elastomer member but are capable of deliberate manual adjustment and so that when the ear and extension are brought into parallel relationship the elastomer member is strongly compressed whereby no relative movement of the wires and bracket 15 possible.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,078,201 Hoybcok Nov. 11, 1913 2,342,958 Morehouse Feb. 29, 1944 2,351,790 Tinnerman June 20, 1944 2,397,279 Le Vesconte Mar. 26, 1946 2,431,379 Ellinwood Nov. 25, 1947 2,470,814 Hain May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,441 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1915 

